Grape-leaf anemone

Grape-leaf anemone: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Clump of large basal leaves with branched, upright flower stems up to 1 m; it spreads by underground runners.

Leaves

Large, three- to five-lobed, vine-like and coarsely toothed; dark green above, felted underneath.

Flower

Saucer-shaped, about 5 cm across, soft pink with a ring of golden stamens, many together on branched stems, from August to October.

Fruit

Round, woolly seed heads that fall apart in late autumn.

Roots

Tough rhizomes with runners that spread quickly in loose soil.

Flowering: August–October · Plants: March–May · Pruning: March

Why grow it?

• Flowers for three months, from August to October, when the border is past its best.
• An important source of nectar and pollen for bees and bumblebees in late summer.
• Strong and hardy; tolerates sun, partial shade, chalk and some drought.
• Quickly fills a large space, ideal under trees, along a hedge or in a wild border.
• After flowering come woolly seed heads that glow attractively in autumn.

Grape-leaf anemone: where does it grow best?

• Sun or partial shade; in full sun it needs a little more water in dry summers.
• Any good garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Dry to moderately moist; it dislikes wet soil in winter.
• Give it space, at least 60–80 cm per plant, or put it among sturdy neighbours that will not be crowded out.
• Sheltered from strong wind, so the tall stems do not snap.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

1 m tall, 0.8 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Michaelmas daisy: Purple and blue beside the soft pink, at the same time.
• Chinese silver grass: A large ornamental grass that frames the clump beautifully in autumn.
• Showy stonecrop: Broad pink to red-brown flower heads at the front of the border.
• Bugbane: White flower spikes in partial shade in September.

Grape-leaf anemone: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May.

1. Plant from March to May: autumn anemones establish much better in spring than in autumn.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot and mix in some compost.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot, firm in and keep 60–80 cm between plants.
4. To keep the runners in check, sink a root barrier or a bottomless bucket about 30 cm deep.
5. Water generously and keep the soil moist during the first year.
6. Mulch with compost or leaf mould.

Care

Watering

Regularly in the first year; after that only in long dry spells, especially in sun.

Feeding

A little compost in spring; nothing more is needed.

Support

In a windy spot or rich soil the stems may lean; put in some support in June.

Runners

Every spring, chop out runners that stray beyond where you want them with a spade.

Moving

Best left in place: after moving it takes a year to recover.

Tip: Plant it in spring, not in autumn, and give it the space it needs from the start. A buried root barrier stops it popping up all over the border.

Grape-leaf anemone: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March.

When: Cut the old stems down to the ground in March, before the new leaves appear. Leave them over winter for the seed heads and as shelter for insects.

How:

• Cut nothing in summer or autumn: it flowers on into October.
• In March, cut all old stems back to just above the ground.
• Wear gloves: the sap can irritate the skin.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Runners

In March–April, dig up a young shoot with a piece of rhizome at the edge of the clump and replant it elsewhere.

Division

In spring, lift a clump and split it into pieces, each with buds and roots.

Root cuttings

In December–January, lay 5 cm pieces of root in a pot of sandy compost, cover lightly and keep frost-free and slightly moist.

Grape-leaf anemone: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Hardy to about −30 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• Plants set out that spring are best given a layer of leaf mould in their first winter.
• Leave the old stems until March: they protect the crown.
• A large pot is possible, and it cannot spread there; stand the pot against a wall in winter.

Diseases and pests

• Spreading: It spreads by runners and can smother smaller neighbours. Use a root barrier and chop out runners every spring.
• Slow start: In the first year after planting it often grows and flowers little. After that it takes off.
• Leaf nematodes: Angular, brown-black patches between the leaf veins, mainly at the bottom of the plant. Remove affected leaves and put them in the household waste.
• Slugs: They eat the young leaves in spring. Pick them off in the evening.
• Snapped stems: The tall stems break in strong wind. Plant in a sheltered spot or support in good time.

Through the year

• March: Cut down old stems. Plant.
• April: Plant or divide. Chop out runners.
• May: Plant. Watch for slugs.
• June: Put in supports in a windy spot.
• July: Water in dry spells. The buds appear.
• August: Flowering begins.
• September: Full flower, busy with bees and bumblebees.
• October: Last flowers. Woolly seed heads.
• December: Take root cuttings.

Edible and useful

Not edible. All parts of these garden anemones are poisonous: when the plant is damaged it releases protoanemonin, an acrid compound also found in buttercups. In the mouth it causes a burning feeling, drooling, vomiting and stomach ache, in children as well as in dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs; on the skin, redness, itching and sometimes small blisters. The acrid taste puts most people and animals off, but do not plant them in a run, and do not throw trimmings or dug-out pieces into a field, run or hutch. They spread by rhizomes: wear gloves when chopping them back, cutting down and dividing, and wash your hands afterwards. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The species name tomentosa means ‘felted’, after the undersides of the leaves.
• What look like petals are actually coloured sepals.
• Autumn anemones are often called Japanese anemones, but this species comes from China.